Pumping means for vacuum-cleaners.



Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. flu

Zfia ]9 3+ wmvsssss CZ Z/JZIgf/gg 5 4 are. ea

m ee/W60 A TTOR/VEVS APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1912 Patented Sept. 16,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

barre ra ion.

CLARKE W. STEWART,

015 CLEAN, NE? YORK.

PUMPING MEANS VACUUM-CLEANERS.

Application filed September 19, 1912.

'1 '0 (L25 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that l, (Jeanna XV. Sirnwan'r, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Glenn, in the county of tattaraugus and Stateof New litork, have invented a new and Improved Pun'iping l vlleans forVacuum-Cleaners, of which the following a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to vacuum cleaners adapted for the attaclnnent ot ahose carrying any approved term of suction nozzle, and the object of myinvention is to provide an improved apparatus of very simpleconstruction, and in which a bodily rocking movement of the :t'rameprovided with a handle, will cause a system of bellows to produce thedesired suction at the nozzle.

The distinguishing features of my invention, and the importantstructural elements characterizing the preferred embodiment which isillustrated as an example, will be more particularly explained in thespecific description hereinafter to be given.

teference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of ref erence indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation 01 a vacuum cleaner embodying myinvention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation; and Fig. 3 atransverse vertical section taken on about the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In constructing a vacuum cleaner in accordanee with the particularexample given as one practical embodiment of my invention, two sideframes are provided, having supporting rockers 10, adapted to rest onthe floor and desirably having rubber tires 10 to increase the frictionand give the rockers a better holding action on the floor. Each rockeris provided with a horizontal top bar 11 extending between the ends ofthe rocker, and with diagonal braces 12, rigidly fastened as at 12" tothe top bar 11, and at 12 to the rocker 10, the said braces convergingtoward the top and the overlapped upper ends of which are received ontrunnions 13, provided at the sides of an elongated head or block 14. Onthe trunnions also is the bail 15 of a handle 16 by which the apparatusis manipulated, and rigid with the handle is a central partition 17 ot adouble-acting bellows, the handle and the said diaphragm being movablerelatively to the frame braces 12 and relatively to the Specification ofLetters Patent.

iateniodSept. 16,1913.

Serial No. 721,163.

outer walls 1.8 of the bellows. For giving strength to the connectionbetween the bail 15 and the central partition 1.7, l prefer to providetriangular members 17, at each side of the said partition, and these maybe integral with the ends of the bail 1:3 and receive fastening screws17" that take into the ends of the head 14-. The material forming thebellows :t'olds 1%) extends at the sides and bottom oil the bellows fromone outside wall 18 to the other. Finch outer wall 18 is rigidly securedas at Ql, to the adjacent diagonal brace 12 ot the rocker frames, andnear the bottom as at 22, are secured to the top bars 11 of the rockerframes, so that the said walls are rigid with the rocker frames. Theupper ends of the outer walls 18 are flexibly united as at 20 to thehead 1-1, and there is a sulliciont fullness of material at theconnection 20 to permit of a slight movement of the said head relativelyto the said walls.

Mounted on the head 11 is a dust box, the cover 23 of which has an inletnipple 25, or its equivalent, for the connection of a hose 2 1, which inpractice will be provided with any approved suction nozzle (not shown).The cover 23 is removable and is provided with a lateral bottom flange26 that rests on [langes 27 on the sides of the head l-il. The dust box28 over which the cover 23 [its is provided with a dust screen 25), andon the interior of the box 28, below the screen 29, is an interior rib30, that rests on an interior flange 31. on the head 14;, the lower endof the box 28 thus being disposed outside of the flange 31. The(mnstruction is such that the cover 23 may be lifted and the dust boxthen removed from the head 14, for dumping the collected dust.Communication be tween the dust box and the bellows is established byair ports 32 extending vertically through the head 14-, said ports beingcommanded at the bottom by air inlet valves 33. Suitable air egressalves 3 .1: are provided in each wall 18 of the bellows.

\Vith the described construction a reciprocating movement of the handleits will cause a rocking movement of the rocker frames, and as thecentral partition .17 is in fixed relation to the handle, the partitionand walls will assume the positions indicated by dotted lines at theleft of Fig. 3 the left bellows will close and the bellows at the rightwill expand. Upon a rocking of the apparatus to the right, the righthand bellows will close and the left hand bellows will expand. Upon theexpansion of a bellows the valve 3st will close and the inlet valve 33of the bellows will open, thus producing a suction within the dust boxand in the hose 24. By thus moving the handle back and forth and rockingthe frame, the dust will be drawn through the nozzle into the dust box,and collected in the latter. l

It will be seen therefore that my invention provides an efficientcleaner, the cost of which will make it available for small homes andfor people of moderate incomes; that it can be easily operated withlittle effort on the part of the operator; that its operation will beessentially noiseless, and that the rubber-tired rockers will not onlyprevent slipping upon smooth floors when in operation, but they willprevent the marring of furniture and polished floors, and when used oncarpets will result in no injury to the latter. Furthermore, it isapparent that the apparatus may easily be carried from place to place,and that the arrangement of the removable dust box at the top of theapparatus enables the operator to remove the dirt with convenience.Obviously, the motion may be imparted to the machine with one hand whilethe operator manipulates the hose and nozzle with the other hand.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-,

1. In a vacuum cleaning apparatus, the combination of a rocker framestructure adapted to rest on a floor and to be rocked thereon, a bellowssupported on said frame structure, a suction chamber in communicationwith the bellows, and means for operating the bellows by a rockingmovement of said frame structure, to produce suction in the said suctionchamber.

2. In a vacuum cleaning apparatus, the combination of a frame structureprovided with rockers adapted to rest on a floor, a bellows, a suctionchamber in communication with the bellows, one wall of which bellows issecured fixedly to said frame, a second wall of the bellows beingmovable relatively to the first wall, and a handle adapted to rock theframe and cause a movement of one wall relatively to the other.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a frame structure mounted onrockers, a suction chamber at the top of the frame structure andrelatively to which the said structure may rock, a bellows below thesuction chamber, said bellows comprising a fixed and a movable wall andbeing in communication with the suction chamber, and a handle forrocking the frame and moving one of said walls toward and from theother.

4.. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a supporting frame structuremounted on rockers adapted to rest on a floor and to rock thereon, ahead supported at the top of the frame, a suction chamber supported onsaid head, a double-acting bellows comprising fixed walls and a rockingwall or partition between said fixed walls, and a handle in nxedrelation to the rocking wall and adapt ed to rock the supporting framestructure, the said head having air inlet ports establishingcommunication between the suction chamber and bellows at the sides ofthe rockable wall, and the fixed walls being provided with air egressvalves.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a frame structure providedwith rockers adapted to rest on a floor and to rock thereon, a suctionchamber, means for producing suction in the suction chamber by the rcking of the frame, and means for rocking said frame.

6. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a supporting frame structureprovided with rockers adapted to rest on a floor and to rock thereon, ahead supported on the frame at the upper end and relatively to which theframe may rock, a suction chamber supported on the top of said head,means for rocking the frame, and means for producing suction in thesuction chamber by the rocking of the frame.

7. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a frame structure providedwith rockers adapted to rest on a floor and to rock thereon, a headsupported at the upper end of the frame, and relative to which the framemay have rocking movement, said head having an air port extending fromtop to bottom thereof, a suction chamber removably supported on saidhead, at the upper side thereof, and means below the head andcommunieating with the air port thereof to produce suction through theremovable suction chamber, and the said air port, by the rocking of theframe.

8. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a frame mounted on rockersadapted to rest on a floor to roll forward and back bodily, a suctionchamber, a bellows communicating with the suction chamber, a device tocause rocking of the frame on its rockers, and means to alternatelycollapse and distend the bellows by the back and forth rolling of theframe on its rockers.

In testimonywhereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses. V

CLARKE W. STEWART.

I Vitnesses:

R. C. BEcRArT, C. L. STEWART.

Copiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. D. C.

